US2607270A - Depth measurement microscope - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 19, 1952 w 13, BRlGGs 2,607,270

DEPTH MEASUREMENT MICROSCOPE Filed Aug. 29, 1949 Arron. N5)

Patented Aug. 19, 1952 7 2,607,270 DEPTH MEASUREMENT MICROSCOPE William D. BrigggLawndale, Caliii, assignor to Northrop Aircraft, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif a corporation of Qalifornia Application August 29, 1949; Serial No. 112,938 1 2 Claims. (c1. ss -s9)- My invention relates to depth measuring devices and more particularly to an optical means and method for accurately determining the depth of indentations such as surface scratches in opaque bodies.

Many modern airplanes utilize an all-metal construction wherein the external skin of the wings or other portions of the airplane is. arranged. to carry substantial loads. This type of construction is known as the stressed skin de- Scratches can, of course, be accidentally. made in sheet metal and in airplane construction at any stage in fabrication of parts. It is therefore highly desirable that any device for measuring scratch depth be portable and suitable for use on the metal sheets at any time. g

It is another object of the present invention to provide a'device for measuring scratch'depth that is portable and which can be readily and easily applied to the surface of a metal sheet whereversuch a sheet is exposed.

Briefly the invention utilizes a microscope containing anoptical system having as little depth of focus as practical. This optical system is mounted on a base suitable for resting on an opaque surface. The microscope can be moved axially of the optical system for focussing and the fine focussing adjustment is calibrated. The microscope is also mounted on the base so that it can be moved along a line at right angles to the optical axis, without moving the base.

In use, the microscope is placed on the surface having a scratch therein, and the optical system is focussed on the bottom of the scratch. Then, without moving the base, the optical system is moved at right angles to the optical axis thereof until the operator can focus on the unscratched surface at the side of the scratch. The difference in focus as read from the calibrated fine focussing adjustment will give the depth of the scratch. In practice scratch depths can be measured with an accuracy of better than .001 inch.

The invention will be further understood by reference to the ensuing description of the appended drawing in which the figure is a lateral perspective'view of one preferred apparatus for; performing .the method of the invention.

A microscope l of the usual metallurgical type is mounted with its tube 2 sliding in body 3, with.

the usual coarse adjustment screw 4 and fine adjustment screw 5. This latter screw 5 is calibrated in thousandths of an inch or in tenths of a millimeter, for example, with respect to the, motion of tube 2 onbody 3. The eye piece 6 and objective lens 1 of the microscope may be of the usual high quality typemicroscope lenses. but not of any type especially made to have a wide depth offocus. Standard metallurgical microscope, lenses have been found to have a sufficiently small depth of focus to provide the desired'measurementaccuracy. As is customary when viewing surfaces of opaque objects, the tube 2 is provided with a surface illuminating prism (not shown) enclosed in prism case ii with light supplied by a lamp (not shown) in lamp housing 9 attached to case 8.

Body 3 is fastened securely to'a body block. 10 by body screws I9, and thebody block lll extends at right angles from a standard! I erected from a U-shaped base It. at the junction [3 of the legs 14 thereof. Legs 14 extend laterally from standard to terminate beyond the optical axis of the microscope, andare positioned so as to have the objective lens of the microscope midway between them. I V The body block [0 is supported byand moveable laterally with respect to standard I lon slide pins l5 under the control of a lateral adjustment screw l6 threaded into the block [0, in cooperation with a compression spring 20. The lead of this screw is made fine enough so that the scratch will remain in the microscope field during lateral. adjustment. The ends of the legs 14 are each provided with a surface contact lug l1, and the. junction l3 of the base I2 is also provided with abase lug 18 making a three point support for the base. All mounting elements of the microscope are carefully machined to provide a lateral motion of the microscope optical axis that is exactly at right angles to the plane defined by the surface contacting points of lugs l1 and I8 and thus to any fiat surface on which the base I2 rests.

i In use, the base I2 is placed to rest on the surface having a scratch or similar indentation therein whose depth is to be measured. Preferably the line of motion of the optical axis is arranged to be roughly a right angle to the extent of the scratch. The base is then moved on the surface until the scratch is in the microscope If desired, normal surface readings can be made on both sides of the scratch. It has been found in'practice that a travel of 0.1 inch is sufficient for the lateral adjustment range of'screw Hi.

The depth measuring device as described'has been found in practice to measure depths consistently to better than .001 inchand has been found to be an effective tool in determining whether or not scratches in stressed skins are sufficiently deep to affect. the strength thereof. The device will not only measure scratch depths accurately in flat sheets but also can'be'used on surfaces having curvatures oflong'radii's'uch as,- for example, on upper or lower airplane wing surfaces; Asscratchesare I-usually only a' few thousandths of an inch'wide, the lateralmotion ofthe optical axis during'measurement with re-' spect to -the curved surface is so small that' any deviation due" to surface curvature is substantial its form, proportions, detailconstruction and arrangement'of arts without'departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its ad-- vantages.

While in order to comply with the statute,'the invention has been described in language more or less-specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise a preferred form of putting the invention into effect, and-the invention is therefore claimed in any of its'forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims. i

What is claimed is: 1

1. In the art of determining the depth of "an' indent in a surface, a portable, self-contained instrum'ent comprising: a base including a threepoint support for direct contact with the surface whereby said base is stably supported on said surface; an opening in the base adapted to be positioned over the area of said surface comprising the said indent; an upright carried by said base; a slide element mounted in said upright; a block supported by and movable on said slide element and extending laterally from said upright towards the opening in said base; a microscope 4 optical system movably mounted on said block over the opening in said base; means for displacing the optical system vertically so as to bring the bottom of the indent into the focus of the microscope; screw means cooperating with said upright and said block' and rotatable to move said block along said slide element, whereby the optical system can be moved laterally so as to be positioned over the portion of said surface adjacent said indent and said portion brought into focus; and graduation means associated with said displacement means for indicating the respective positions of the displaced optical system when thelatter'. is-focused on the bottom of the indent -and the" adjacent portion of the surface,

whereby the depth of the indent can be determined-.;

2. ,In the art of determining the depth of an indent ina surface, a portable, self-contained instrument comprising: abase including a threepoint support for direct contact with the surface whereby isaid'base'isstably supported on. said surface an opening in the base adapted 'to be:

positioned over the area of "said surface 'com'-.

prising the indent; an upright carried by said.

base; a slide element mounted in said uprightja block supported by and movable on said slide element and extending laterally from said upright towards the opening in said-base; a microscope optical system movably mounted on said block over the opening in said base; 'calibratedscrew means for displacing the optical system vertically so as to bring the bottom of the indent into the focus of the microscope; screw means cooperating-- with said upright and said block and rotatable to move said block along said Slide element to move the optical system laterally so a to be positioned over the portion of said surface adjacent said indent and said portion brought into focus, whereby the depth of the indent can be deter-' mined by a comparison of the-readings of thecalibrated screw means when the bottom of the indent and the adjacent'portion of said surface are respectively brought into focus.

1 WILLIAM D. BRIGGS? REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES vPATENTS OTHER. REFERENCES Carpenter- TeXtThe Microscope-6th edi-' tion pages 167-, 16-8 Published by J. &- A. Churohill-London-l88l--copy in Division 7g

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